Autism's Irrefutable Truth

Stories of autism grip the headlines: from John Travolta’s poignant memories of his son, Jett, to the Center for Disease Controls new study that highlights the growing pervasiveness of autism.

Brought to light in the movie Rain Man, autism is a condition that only 15 years ago was estimated to affect 1 in 2000 children. Today, it affects 1 in 91, with new research from the journal Pediatrics now estimating the lifetime medical costs being born by families coping with autism to be $1.6 million.

Autism has become irrefutable.

And thankfully, Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius recognizes this: “We need a new focus and new resources because autism has emerged as an urgent public health challenge”

As we come together as a society to find the resources to address the needs of our our children and the families that care for them, perhaps we should pause and watch what an indominitable spirit can accomplish.

As in the words of Raymond Williams, “to be truly radical is to make hope possible.”